Makita Drill - Wrong Hole

D.Snaith

Member
After some debate, we decided to attempt a shaft to the adit below. The first pitch was a little sketchy, a 12ft length of carpet was used to protect the rope over the collar. About 15m down you land on a scree slope, heading up the slope you reach a large flooded winze shortly followed by a dead end. Down the slope leads into another shaft. With no way of protecting the rope from the many sharp edges we decided to bolt a traverse across the top.
In line with us was a level that appeared to take a sharp bend to the left, but below was the main goal. One of our members (quite new to bolting) successfully placed the first two bolts. Whilst searching for the third placement all that could be heard as she tapped away at the rock was dull thuds, we had ran out of good ground.
I was called down to assist. Swapping places with her was an entertaining challenge, on cowstails 120ft above the deck with no foot holds. Finally managing to swap places i had a little tap around at the rock to see what was what, finally the high pitched ting we were looking for. No supprise she could not find it, it was well out of her reach and i could only just touch it with the tip of the hammer.
Now we had found it, but drilling it was another game all together... leaning out on my descender, my right foot on her left shoulder pushing me out to get into position, I eventually managed the hole.  Two more easy placements and we were across... only to find the level went 50ft and came to a collapse.
Nevermind, the reason we were here was to connect the shaft to the adit. Heading back onto the traverse we re-rigged to head down the shaft. Tracy went first, and after 40m she reached a choke with no possible way on.
A bit gutted we head to the surface and started walking back to the car, at which point we noticed a shaft... which was the one that we were meant to be doing........ Whoops    o_O o_O
 
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